october

harbingerHereford

www.herefordharbinger.org October 2014Volume IV Issue I Hereford High School, Parkton, Maryland

The voiceof

Hereford High

Index Inside Inquire

2-34-56-78-9

10-1112

NewsSportsSpotlightFeaturesOpinionIn Focus

Kalliopi named National Merit Scholar semi-

finalist

By Maggie Gutberlet With the new school year in full swing, the consequences of the A-day/B-day schedule are apparent. Whether the negatives outweigh the positives is up for debate, but several students feel strongly towards the new change. For many students, this is the first year that more than one of their periods alternates, especially for underclassmen, because in years past classes that were offered as A-day/B-day were primarily Advanced Place-ment courses. Sam Mellecker (’16) had no A-day/B-day periods last year. She said that the new schedule holds no benefits for her. “It’s difficult to keep your grades up with less grades in each class,” said Sam. “And you lose mo-tivation to study because there’s so many classes to study for.” For students like Sam, the switch to the alternating schedule was a drastic change from their past schedules. But for some upperclass-men, AP courses had prepared them for the situation dreaded by so many parents, teachers, and students. Taylor Tarnai (’15) has no ill feelings towards the schedule. “It really doesn’t bother me at all,” said Taylor. “After four years of high school, I’ve had plenty of A-day/B-day classes.” Many students and parents

were active in Hereford Works, the group that formed to fight the manda-tory, countywide schedule change. A protest occurred last school year on February 11. Chants of “no voice, no choice” rang out defiantly as the pro-testers stood outside of the Baltimore

County School Board meeting, trying to change the Board’s mind. Some of the attendees still feel the same as they did seven months ago. Tanner Baldwin (’15), who addressed the board directly dur-

ing the public comments section of the meeting, now has the first-hand knowledge to back up his claim of the schedule change being detrimental. “I am displeased to say the least,” said Tanner. “I feel that the biggest thing is that teachers are

used to scheduling homework for one day only. Now that they have a day between classes, teachers think they should assign more homework. They don’t realize we have homework in another four classes.” Jody Eber, mother of Graeme Eber (’17), strongly opposes the current schedule. “I still wish that it would revert back. The semester block was terrific. These students have lost their ability to pace themselves, their strong relationships with teach-ers, and their real-life preparation. Our old schedule allowed for this. Our current schedule strips the com-munity of the academic choices that allowed for a higher success rate for each student,” said Eber. Acting Principal Joe Jira supports the new schedule, but said he keeps a positive relationship with Hereford Works and looks to work with them to make improvements. “The schedule in the past was a blend of semester courses and A-day/B-day courses. This was harder to schedule. We ended up having to use two or three alterna-tive classes,” said Jira. “On the new schedule, most kids got what they

wanted and only one or two alterna-tives were used.” He acknowledges the is-sues, though, such as too much time between certain classes and the heavy homework load.

Community responds to schedule change

Photo by Sophie SeamanDue to the new schedule, students leave homeroom after the bell sends them to their B-Day first period classes. “It’s challenging to change things when we’re used to something,” said Science Department Chair Jean-Paul Bibaud.

O’s magic sweeps the halls

Read it Online

www.herefordharbinger.org

Academic class sizes vary significantlyBy Maggie Gutberlet If you’ve noticed that some of your classes are a little bit fuller than in years past, you’re not imagining things. Last year, Superintendant Dallas Dance mandated that no class exceed 32 stu-dents or have less than 15. This seems more to be an ideal than a mandate at Hereford. The two largest classes here are Con-cert Band at 44 students and Concert Choir at 43. There are 12 classes that have surpassed the max at 34 or 33 students. Acting Principal Joe Jira said that class sizes are not that different in comparison to last year. “Most of the classes are at 32 stu-dents,” said Jira. “I try to keep classes that require labs at 25. Ms. Book does most of the scheduling now.” Elaine Zea (’17) said she noticed the

bigger classes, but that they do not bother her. “It’s not really a problem,” said Elaine. “Chemistry is my biggest class, and that’s a lot of teamwork so it’s not affecting me there. I see how it could be difficult for math classes because those classes require a lot more one-on-one attention.” Lisa Sopher, who teaches Creative Writing and English courses, said she has a class of only 16. “My Advanced Creative Writing class is very small,” said Sopher. “It’s easier to grade longer essays and stories and we have more manageable discussions.” Sopher also said that she has a class of 30, and that it is fine.

Continued on page 2

@HHarbinger

@HHarbinger

/HeferfordHarbinger

Pages 6-7Helicopter Parenting

By Alex Toma Joe Jira is the new acting principal this school year after working as assistant prin-cipal for six years. He replaced former prin-cipal of three years, Andrew Last, who trans-ferred to Perry Hall High School in July. Jira was originally on the committee to select a new principal, however, after hear-ing the candidates speak, he said that none of them understood, “what the heart of Hereford High School was all about.” He decided to ap-ply for an interview and is awaiting the official school board vote in November which he ex-pects will pronounce him principal. He said being the scheduler of the school helped with understanding the role as principal. “When you’re the scheduler, you get a sense of where the strengths and where the weaknesses are in the school,” he said.

Joe Jira takes the lead as acting principal

Photo by Sophie Seaman

hereford|October 2014 Herefordharbinger @HHarbinger2

Where

have you taught before?

what classes do you teach?

What is a fun fact about you?

charlie lidard

WilliamBrown

Emily book

Meganhamilton

Angelica anshel

tanjawheeler

Honors English 12 and

Engineering Principles

Student-taught at Oklahoma Road Middle

School and Lib-erty High School

“I touched my toes in the

Atlantic and Pacific in a 24

hour span when I drove across Argentina and

Chile.”

Assistant Principal

Taught Social Studies at Parkville High

School

“I played basketball at West

Virginia Tech.”

Assistant Principal

Math teacher and department

chair at Lansdowne,

Patapsco, and Franklin

“I wear a lot of purple but I’m

from Pittsburgh, and I’m not a Ravens fan.”

English 9, AP English 11, Film

Appreciation

Taught English at Garrison Forest

School, camp counselor at

nature camps

“I attended HHS, as well as my

mother and my husband. My

daughter will be part of the class

of 2031!”

Algebra 1, Geometry,

College Algebra

Long-term substitute at

Pikesville High School

“I love roller coasters,

especially riding in the front row seat with my hands in the air!”

Spanish 1 and Spanish 3

Taught preschool and kindergarten

for five and a half

years.

“I love to dance, and was the Colombia

Carnaval Queen in 2012 because I wanted to dance

in front of others!”

“I hardly ever cook... I also

want a pet pig!”

Foods and Nutrition

Taught in Anne Arundel County, vice principal at a

school in Dubai

shelbyhaacke

Welcome new faculty and staffBy Emily Palumbo

Graphic by Maddie McGee

hereford|October 2014 @HHarbinger harbingerHereford3

Page 1 continued “Some teachers haven’t adjusted to having classes all year,” Jira said. “We’re working to set a limit for the right amount of homework, and we’re addressing the need for reviews when there are large gaps between classes.”

Jira formed a committee that is working to set up a fi-nal exam schedule so that students aren’t overwhelmed by having all their finals at once.

The administration is attempting to alleviate some of the pres-sures that have plagued the school this year. Working with the PTSA, it is planning exciting events to increase morale and cre-ate a more relaxed environment. A school-wide cookout, random spirit days, local mascot visits, and local athlete visits are cur-rently in the works. The faculty plans to let students know that they recog-nize the struggles they are facing, and will take this challenge on together. “It’s a tough transition for both teachers, administrators, and students,” said Science Department Chair Jean-Paul Bibaud. “This is my first year at Hereford teaching A-day/ B-day classes. I try to limit the homework. The hardest part is having so many students at once and keeping up with grading.” In order to save paper and make finding class work easier, Bibaud uses Google Drive where he posts all PowerPoints he presents in class and any resource he thinks will be helpful. Similarly, science teacher Russel Drylie said he puts all of his assignments, including homework and chapter readings, on Engrade. To reduce stress, Jira suggested that students use the

Enrichment hour for school work and do homework on the day it is assigned.

Page 1 continued Social studies teacher Jonathon Shin-nick said that only one of his classes this year is abnormally large. “For me, Standard grade 9 United States Government is considerably larger this year,” said Shinnick. “The extra grading takes away from planning time, and it’s tougher to have the stu-dents moving around the room to do things like gallery walks.” Despite these setbacks, Shinnick said that change has to start somewhere, and that three to four years from now the changes being made might make his job easier. Lakshmi Hirpara (’16) said that her Ad-vance Placement Physics class is bigger than she is used to. “There are 29 students in my class,” said Lakshmi. “It’s difficult to get personal atten-tion.” Meagan Murphy (’15) was originally signed up for Yearbook this year. Within the first week of school, she said she was asked to switch out. “They wanted seniors taking the class

to switch out because it was late for us to learn everything,” said Meagan. “The class was hu-mongous. So I switched to Animal Science.”John Raduazzo, grade 10 English teacher, said he estimates that his class sizes have gone up 15 to 20% in the past few years. “It’s harder for everyone because there’s more students and less teachers, so there’s less one-on-one time,” said Raduazzo. “There’s less teachers because they haven’t hired more to replace the teachers we’ve lost.” Some of these teachers include Erin Czan, Trisha Denholm, Ashley Chapa, Brian King, Thomas Hanson, and Kim Willard. Another teacher, who wishes to remain anonymous, said she feels affected by the de-crease in teachers the past few years. “I think it’s decreased about two or three teachers a year,” she said. “The loss of teachers in my department has caused both my elective classes and main classes to grow. There’s less time for everything I need to get done in a period and there’s a possibility that kids will get lost in the shuffle.”

A day/B day schedule change causes diverse reactions

Students and teachers adjust to various course sizes

Photo by Caprice Roche’ Small class sizes are plentiful throughout the building. Classes have increased in size throughout the grade levels.

““

The hardest part is having so many students at once and keeping up with grading.”

Jean-Paul Bibaud

Photo by Will WilkinsonScience Department Chair Jean-Paul Bibaud admits there are hard aspects to the new schedule.

SPORTS|October 2014 @HHarbingerHerefordharbinger 5

sports|October 2014 @HHarbingerharbingerHereford4

The athletic talent of the freshmen class has revealed itself this fall when students made varsity teams. Field hockey, badminton, volleyball, and girls and boys soccer all have at least one freshman on the team. Foot-ball, cheerleading, and cross-country are without freshmen on Varsity. Camryn Kelbaugh (’18) is the starting goalkeeper on Varsity field hockey and has played the sport for five years. “Camryn earned a spot on the Varsity field hockey team because of her natural leadership skills, and competitive-ness on the field,” said Head Coach Caitlin Mackenzie. “I didn’t believe I made Varsity because I’m playing with all of these amazing people,” said Camryn. “It’s nerve-wracking each time I go in.” Badminton has welcomed six freshmen on Varsity, which is about one-third of the team, composed of 16 players. Mackenzie Martin (’18) plays singles for the girls; Max Overmier (’18) plays singles for the boys. The teams of Sammy Anderson (’18) and Megan Loomis (’18), Josie Baldwin (’18) and and Lindsey McNicholas (’18) are playing girls doubles. “All of these players have earned a spot on the team because of great athleticism, work ethic, and an ability to learn the game quickly,” said Head Coach Geoff Grace. McKenna May (’18) plays middle-hitter on Varsity volleyball. She has been playing since she was in sixth grade. She is excited to be playing with older teammates because she believes it will help her improve as a player for the future. “I felt that she was ready to play varsity as a fresh-man,” said Head Coach Dave Schrener. Five freshmen were initially selected to be a part of the girls Varsity soccer team, although one more has been moved up throughout the season due to injuries. Lizzy Chapline (’18) and Aiofa Kinucane (’18) are goalkeepers; Danielle Maggio (’18), Julia Zemenek (’18), Megan Lime (’18), and Kara Schmidt (’18) are fieldplayers. “The upperclassmen respect them because they are all immediate contributors,” said Head Coach Brad Duvall. Emery Collins (’18) plays left midfielder for the boys Varsity soccer team. He has been playing since he was five years old and currently plays soccer year round. He is enjoying the experience of playing with the older boys. “It’s pretty cool when they call the line-ups,” said Em-ery. “I don’t think the team looks at him as the only fresh-man, I feel that the team looks at him as just another teammate,” said Head Coach Mike Lacko.

By Noelle Funk and Emma Reider

Fall Varsity sports teams relish fresh meat

Jamal Cody (’15) stands straight-faced, with his ath-letic build, highlighted with shadows, State medals around his neck. This now familiar photo adorns the main hallway as part of a growing collection by John Roemer and John Coffey. Roemer, noted photographer and head coach of the cross country team and Coffey, father of Dillon (’18) and Sarah Coffey (’16), both have pursued photography as a hobby since a young age. Roemer began taking team and individual photos late last spring after the athletic department stopped using its original team photographers. Roemer had the camera and Coffey had the sophisti-cated lighting equipment, so together that decided that they could produce the best results. Roemer and Coffey banded together this season to photograph each fall athlete. Three athletes have been chosen so far: Jamal, Craig Worpell (’15) and Emily Endres (’17). Their

images are showcased in the main lobby. “The hype was cool; I received a lot of compliments on the picture,” stated varsity track and field athlete Jamal, the first player whose photograph was displayed. “I just made sure not to let it get to my head and focus on school.” The athletes featured by Roemer and Coffey have got-ten positive attention in person and through social media. Ro-emer plans to have all the remaining athletes’ photos showcased on his website: http://streak.zenfolio.com. “A lot of people have been commenting on it and say-ing it’s an awesome photo,” said varsity football player Craig Worpell, whose photo is currently on display. “I just hope I get to keep it at the end or when they take it down.” “The photo shoot felt so professional,” said Taylor Anne Jones (’15), a varsity volleyball player. “It was very cool because I felt like Selena Gomez.” Roemer and Coffey spent long hours on the photos

showcasing each athlete’s importance. These photos will not be free; however, they plan to charge competitive fees. “The most difficult part for me was asking people to adopt certain poses,” said John Roemer. “It runs counter to all the photos I’ve taken prior.” “I really liked that I chose my own poses,” said Emily, a field hockey player. “The black background and lighting made it feel intense.” Winter and Spring athletes may have a chance to be photographed, too. “John and I have no formal agreement with the athletic department,” said John Roemer. “But if they want us to, and we can find the time to continue. I think we would do the winter and spring sports as well.

Photo by John RoemerSarah Coffey (’16) competes in the Bull Run on Saturday, September 27. Sarah placed 11 in the girls Varsity Elite race.

Saturday September 27, runners of the Bull Run raced on a new course. Hereford had not hosted the event since 2012. Due to a new athletic field just below the stadium where the Maze used to be, and because of a new sidewalk where the finish chute was, the old course had to be altered. “The new practice field on the Maze eliminated 0.3 miles of the original course. The new route will follow the field’s perimeter and then join part of the old Maze,” said Coach John Roemer. Runners had a home scrimmage the week before the event and were able to run the course for the first time at a meet in order to prepare for the Bull Run.

“The course isn’t that different, but the ending is very different so some people still got confused,” said Varsity runner Jessie Cornwell (’15). After the first home scrimmage Varsity athlete Adam Der (’15) said the new course was more difficult to run. The Bull Run is one of the East Coast’s most popular races and has drawn over 100 teams annually. The first boy and girl runners to finish, setting course records, were Eric Walz (Dulaney, 16:06) and Haley Wright (Boonsboro, 19:06). Hereford’s fastest runners, who competed in the Varsity Medium race, were Matt Kingeter and Sarah Cof-fey, who finished in 17:31 and 20:28 respectively.

By Lucy Reider

Notorious Bull Run returns to Hereford after one year leave

Fall athletes are captured through a different lensBy Amanda Hammersla and Maddie Turner

Photo by John RoemerJamal Cody (’15) showcases his state metals. He won all three of them during his junior year running the 55, 110, and 300 meter hurdles.

Photo by John RoemerKendall Rodier (’15), a captain, begins her third year on the Varsity cheerleading squad.

Photo by John RoemerEmily Causey (’16) and Alicia Kozlowski (’16) prepare to compete for their third year on Varsity cross country.

Follow Hereford sports scores on

Twitter @HHarbinger

Graphic by Joe Donatelli and John RoemerThis graphic depicts the new, revised Bull Run course. Joe Donatelli and John Roemer collaborated to design the new course.

Emily Palumbo (’15), right, and Emma Vicchio (’15), left, run to Camryn Kelbaugh (’18), center after their victory over Sparrows Point 5-0 on September 16. Camryn has only let in two goals so far this season in a total of eight games.

Photo by Kathy Vicchio

SPOTLIGHT|October 2014 6 7harbingerHereford

wHAT IS A hELICOPTER PARENT?

HELICOPTER PARENTING

W ith daunting college applications, late Fri-day night WebAssigns, and that seemingly impossible calculus quiz coming up, the last thing we need is our parents hovering over our heads the entire time. A helicopter parent is a parent that pays an extreme amount of attention to their children’s problems, instead of let-ting them solve them on their own. You know you have a helicopter parent if they do your homework for you, fill out your college applications, get involved in all your extracurriculars or email your teachers for you.

The sudden influx of helicopter parents can be attrib-uted to many things. Some parents overwhelm students, taking too much control, all in an attempt to mold the perfect child. A recent article from the Huffington Post called “7 Things You Should Never Do For Your Older Kids” defines a he-licopter parent as “a one-way ticket to incompetent offspring.” Janice D’Arcy wrote in a recent article from The Washington Post that “a large number of these over-parenting kids were suffering from depression and anxiety… they simply weren’t developing a ‘sense of self.’” In 2000, the book Harvard Girl documented the way two Chinese parents raised their daughter to ensure her accep-tance to Harvard University. In China, it is now seen as a manual for parents who want their children to attend top-tier American universities.

A more recent and extreme example of over-parenting is Tiger Mom, Amy Chua, a mother who raised her children based on strict, old-fashioned Chinese values. Chua writes in her memoir, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, “Every day that you don’t practice is a day you’re getting worse.” Not only does over-parenting create stress and wreak havoc in the lives of students, it also creates a false image of the student for teachers. “It shows that the student hasn’t been taught how to ef-fectively communicate and/or ad-vocate for him or herself,” said Michelle Stachura, English department chair. “Any case about a specific assignment where the parent contacts me before the student has is a big red flag.” Other teachers agreed with this implication. “Teachers in general appreciate when students act as their own advocates,” an anonymous teacher said.

By Alicia Moreira

“There may come a time in an evolving issue when a parent should intervene on his or her child’s behalf, but I do believe that that should only come after the student makes the attempt to address the issue on his or her own.” Students face pressure from their parents to get their work done. “My parents email my teachers for extra help,” said Sam Wanamaker (’18). “They don’t let me handle my problems on my own.” “They’re always making sure that my homework’s done,” said Lauren Litsinger (’17). “I’m not allowed to do things on the weekends if it’s not done.”

“Sometimes parents have a hard time letting their chil-dren stand up for themselves and grow up and be independent,” said Tiffany Bibaud, Spanish teacher. “They feel the need to pro-tect them and guide what they do instead of allowing them to develop the skills they need to succeed without their parents.” Bibaud said she thinks much of the issue is caused by the development of technology and that it is much easier to ac-cuse a teacher of wrongdoings in an email than face-to-face. “It’s changed in the nature. When I was a student, if you got a bad grade, parents asked you why you got a bad grade, and now if you get a bad grade, the parents want to know why the teacher isn’t doing what they’re supposed to be doing,” Bibaud said. “I do think [over-parenting] interferes with students’ ability to grow as young adults if there’s too much interference

from the outside,” said Stachura. However, the opposite extreme can cause just as much stress. Some parents expect their kids to do everything on their own, with no guidance whatsoever. Parents with high expecta-tions but little support can be difficult to deal with. “I know they want me to do well but they don’t help; they don’t do anything to get me there themselves,” said an anon-ymous student (’15). Helicopter parents may get a bad rep, however. It is clear that most parents are mainly concerned for the wellbeing of their children and want the best for them and their futures.

“Some parents are guilty of over parenting for reasons of never wanting their children to experience frustration or fail-ure,” said Beth Palumbo, mother of two high school students. “The parents have a strong desire to control their kids’ lives from academic and social aspects for fear they will not ‘suc-ceed’ on their own and even that failure of the child will reflect poorly on the parents.” “I think helicopter parenting becomes problematic as your child ages because what [parents are] really doing is preventing [students] from being able to take their own steps toward independence,” said Michelle Butt, parent of a senior currently in the college application process. “What good is that going to do you when you go to [college] next year?” Most teachers and students agree that parents need to respect the boundaries that their children have established.

“ “Sometimes parents have a hard time letting their children stand up for themselves and grow up and be independent.

Tiffany Bibaud

“A parent who is over-bearing and just doesn’t let you have your space .”

“It ’s a parent who’s hov-ering over their kid. You know, they’re be-ing annoying. They’re like making your life ‘helicopter-y’ if that ’s a word. And they’re con-trolling.”

“A helicopter parent is a parent that hovers over you all the time.”

“I believe a helicopter parent is a parent who watches your every move and tries to control you.”

“A parent who like hovers around their child and like always watches them.”

“A parent who’s like all over you forcing you to get all your stuff done all the time for college and stuff.”

Andrew Ferguson (’18)

Carlos Gonzalez (’15)

James Kobbe (’15)

AJ Jones (’15)

Bridget O’Toole (’15)

Matt Butz (’15)

PARENTS TAKE SPORTS TOO FARIt’s just a game

“Why doesn’t my child have enough playing time?” “My child needs to be on this club team in order to play D1 sports!” “Did you know Jane scored three goals and had two assists?” When you’re trying to succeed while playing a sport, it’s dif-ficult to push your par-ent’s opinions out of the way. Sports have been plagued by sideline coaches and parents who are too caught up in the politics of the sport to let their children enjoy playing. The influx of club sports, as well as pressure to commit to playing a D1 sport before the rest of the stu-dent’s grade has even begun to think about what colleges to apply to makes both parents and students feel forced to catch up with their teammates.

Dr. Jim Taylor wrote in a 2011 study in Psy-chology Today that parents must “merge interests with their children,” making sure the child has a larger role in the sport than the parent. Many believe the key to eliminating overpar-

enting through sports is for par-ents to stop liv-ing vicariously through their children, which is likely easier said than done. The television series Friday Night Tykes doc-uments fathers who take their elementary-age sons’ football

game too seriously, coaching from the sidelines and act-ing as if they are playing a professional sport. Not every child will play in the NFL or attend a prestigious college with an excellent lacrosse program, like Johns Hopkins. Every child has an extremely small chance to make it to the Olympics or become the next Lebron.

“ “Sports have been plagued by sideline coaches and parents who are too caught up in the politics of the sport.

By Maddie McGeeOPINION

harbingerHereford8 @HHarbinger

Follow @HHarbinger on Instagram

“I just like Twitter,” said AP Psychology teacher, Robert Greenwood, pictured with AP World History teacher and close friend, Peter Imhoff. “I won’t look natural without P. Imhoff,” said Greenwood. Looks like teachers have social anxiety, too.

“On average, I spend two and a half hours grading and making lesson plans a night. Let’s just say my Sundays are full,” said AP US History teacher, and department chair, Jamie Hig-gins Shaull. I think we can all relate.

“Can you tell I’ve never taken a selfie?” asked English teacher Michelle Vance. Sure Ms. Vance, that’s what they all say.

“Food is my friend,” said English teacher John Raduazzo while chowing down on his daily lunch of two sandwiches.

Guys and Dolls cast begins fall production By Garrett Doak This year’s fall musical is Guys And Dolls by Frank Loesser. Based on several short stories it premiered on Broad-way in 1950 and was adapted for film in 1955. It was so popular that it ran for 1200 performances. Guys and Dolls takes place in 1950’s New York. It is about two love stories that intertwine, focusing on two gam-bling gangsters, one named Sky Masterson, who develops feel-ings for a very religious woman named Sarah, the other named Nathan, who has been living with his girlfriend Adelaide for over a decade but has always sidestepped “popping the ques-tion.” The musical has been called a classic. Olivia Dias (’16) plays the role of Sarah. “I’m re-ally excited to be in it with all the other leads such as Danielle Schmidt and I’m honored to be part of the production,” she said. “It’s exciting to work on such a large scale production.” Samuel Boelens (’16) plays the role of Sky. Sam, who has acted at various theaters, said theatre is different at

Hereford. “I’m excited to be in Guys and Dolls; I’ve never been in it before. It’s more fun because it’s right after school and I get to hang with all my good school friends,” Sam said. “The music’s good, the dancing’s good, the acting’s good, the perfor-mance is good, the lighting is good, the sound is good, every-thing is good, good, good!” he said. Danielle Schmidt (’15) has been acting since she was three years old, and she got the lead role as Adelaide. “Once I found out [the musical] was Guys and Dolls, I went online and researched the play,” she said. “It’s really fun. I thought I would be nervous for the reading but it’s actually really easy.” Danielle even watched some videos to prepare for her callback and then got the part that she wanted. The first rehearsal was September 23, a read through, where everyone sat and read their lines for the first time as a group. Look for updates at herefordharbinger.org! Kirsten Herman contributed to this article.

Photo by Sophie Seaman Patrick Chaney (’15) attends an early rehearsal for the musical Guys and Dolls. Students who auditioned earned a place in the large ensemble.

All photos and captions by Katharine FrenchTeachers are just like us!

features|October 2014 9Herefordharbinger@HHarbinger

Cellphones: To use or not to use in classBy Lisabeth Stewart Despite hearing the warning at the Student Handbook Assembly the first week of school, students still walk with their phones stuck in back jean pockets or crammed into pencil cases, and kids continue to text, hoping no teacher will yell at them. Our culture is inundated with instant access to know almost anything as soon as we turn on our cellphones.

Before sixth period on Friday, September 12, the school was abuzz with news that Chris Davis had been suspend-ed for 25 games after testing positive for Adderall, a performance enhancing amphetamine. Students gained this information after receiving numerous Twitter or Facebook notifications on their smartphones during fifth period. Within the BCPS Student Handbook, the regulations upon students using cell phones in school are stated. “Students shall use technology for educational purposes only” and “students will be held responsible for appropriate behavior when using… technology.” The “use of electronic devices for non-educational purposes during regular instructional hours” is a category one offence as per the BCPS handbook.

Did the students who knew that Chris Davis had been suspended do something wrong by looking at their phones to gain that knowledge? Should teachers and administration active-ly punish students who gain knowledge during the school day that they could only learn using technology “for non-educational purposes during regular instructional hours?” “The students that we teach are digital natives,” said Social Studies teacher who frequently allows her students to use their phones to research in class, Jamie Higgins Shaull. “They don’t know of a time without cellphones; they don’t know of a time without Internet. Teachers, even young ones like myself, know of a time when we had dial up Internet or we actually didn’t even use a computer.” The cellphone codes could be “slightly more lenient,” said Austin Lehnert (’16). “You shouldn’t be suspended for using your phone in class. I think [that is] kinda dumb because it goes on your personal record when all you did was use your phone.” “The issue with phones is because of BCPS One and STAT [Students and Teachers Accessing Tomorrow]. The deci-sion about using cell phones is becoming a classroom behavior issue,” said Assistant Principal Constance Dean, who deals with students who have been referred to the office for cell phone vio-lations in class. “It is the expectation that when students are using cell phones in the classroom they are only on educational sites and not texting friends or on sites like Facebook.” With the vast capabilities that smartphones have today, they can provide educational information at a moment’s notice. “It’s so awesome and great that students have access to pretty much anything right in the palm of their hand, so that if they do have a question they can actually go through and find the answer,” said Higgins Shaull. “I’m really hoping to promote with my students that they need to be knowledge seekers, responsible knowledge seekers, and they can find information responsibly and ethically” through their cellphones in school. Cellphones have the capabilities to “help out in class and [with] things like Quizlet,” a site which contains user-gener-ated flashcards which enable students to study and take quizzes, said Mackenzie Martin (’18). “I feel as though teachers really need to just start em-bracing [cellphones] because technology is going to be com-pletely a part of the brand new way of teaching,” said Higgins Shaull. “We have to kind of adjust and change with the times. If we don’t embrace it as teachers we are going to fall very far behind and our students are not going to be engaged, and [they’ll

be] bored, and just hating our classes.” On the other hand, cellphones cannot have all positive benefits, or why else would BCPS and the school have any need for a cellphone policy? “As a teacher I would have to say that I feel it is important to have a strict cellphone policy because of the distraction that is there,” said English teacher Megan Hamilton who believes that the use of cell phones in class is a large factor distracting her students. “Even though cellphones do allow us to do some things that may help us in school, I think it’s more likely that we’ll be easily distracted than have the phones help us.” This year to date, there have been 23 students who have received cell phone violations. Last year, there were 130 cell phone violations. When a student is referred to the office for a cell phone violation for the first time, an administrator has a conference with the student and requires a parent signature so the parent is aware of the students’ violation. The second time, the parent must pick up the student’s cell phone and the student has detention dur-ing Enrichment. The third time, the student must take part in the Character Counts program (an in school suspension)and have a parent pick up the phone. “There are no students referenced in our database with three warnings,” said Dean. “However, there were 11 students who received two warnings.” “Personally, cell use doesn’t affect me because I don’t use mine,” said James Larrimore (’15). “If [students] are going to use their cell phones, it’s their own Achilles heel. They’re not benefitting themselves; therefore, it’s their own fault for missing something [in class].”

QR codes are square im-ages of pixels, which when scanned, lead directly to a website. “I use QR codes all the time to promote web-sites so that my students don’t have to type in long websites,” said Higgins Shaull. Scan this image and see where QR codes can take you!

Graphic by Lisabeth Stewart

Photo By Christian GeslerSome students text in class on a regular basis regardless of teachers’ prohibitive policies. “I don’t think [cellphone use is] that bad as long as it’s not in class,” said Samantha Rath-geber (’17). Cellphones in “Enrichment [are]okay as long as you’re not distracting others. I think our current cellphone policies are adequate,” she said.

opinion|October 2014 @HHarbingerharbingerHereford10

Informing and entertaining the Hereford Zone

Hereford High School17301 York Road Parkton, MD

21120410-887-1905

Volume 4 Issue 1

Students and faculty are encouraged to submit letters to the editor in room 207 or e-mail them to [email protected]. They may be edited for length and punctuation.

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ADVISER Mrs. Mary Beth Stuller

EDITORS-IN-CHIEFMeghan Anderson

Maddie McGee

BUSINESS MANAGER

Lisabeth Stewart

STAFF WRITERS Peyton Butt

Garrett DoakAlex Feeney

Katherine FrenchNoelle Funk

Christian GeslerMaggie Gutberlet

Amanda HammerslaBrady King

Abby LaporteAlicia Moreira

Emily PalumboSamantha Preston

Emma ReiderLucy Reider

Caprice RochéSophie Seaman

Olivia ToddAlex Toma

Maddie TurnerWill Wilkinson

MADDIE’S MUSING

Our view: PTSA deserves commendation

“Where are you in the college process?” and other things I wish adults would stop asking me

By Maddie McGee As the apocalypse draws near, all anybody will talk about is college. That includes adults I have only just met. The standard greet-ing goes something like this: “Hello, nice to meet you. Where are you applying to college? Have you started your applications yet? What do you think you want to major in? Oh my gosh, did you know my third cousin twice removed on my dad’s side went there?” It’s enough to drive a girl insane. Be-cause on top of all of these college applications,

I have to go to school, I have to go to work, I have to edit a newspaper, I have to maintain some semblance of a social life, and I have to manage to get at least some sleep. I don’t mind talking about college. I do mind when someone weasels their way into my business when I’m already stressed out and Naviance won’t let me log on and my UGA essay sounds horrible and I have a whole AP Stat section to read and take notes on. I believe every senior who is applying to college is just a little bit insane. Everyone is going to have a meltdown in front of their computer. Parents, please take note: It really doesn’t help when you try to sympathize with us. Yes, I realize that you wish you had my problems, instead of paying bills and going to work every day and chauffeuring children to their various extracurricular activities. Because really, my problems are so mundane and simple. You know, where you go to college won’t affect the rest of your life or anything. No big deal, right? If all of this college talk doesn’t make me want to wring the necks of everyone between the ages of 30-65, people also love to talk about the SATs. I’m convinced the changing of the scale from 2400 back to 1600 has been done because people are so sick of answering that very question. And please don’t tell me that I should have taken Latin because it’s so helpful for SAT vocabulary words. If I had a dollar for every time I was told that, I wouldn’t have to worry about filling out my FAFSA form.

After long nights spent creating AP Psych flashcards and annotating Frankenstein un-til I literally cannot physically keep my eyes open any longer, I honestly cannot believe certain adults have the audacity to ask if high school students really have that much homework. We do. Would you like to complete pages 128-130, numbers 1-59 odd in my AP Stat book for me? Adults don’t just talk about the school aspect of life. Technology is a much-discussed topic. Yes, I know what “the Facebook” is. And I do have an account on “the bird one, you know the chirping app.” Frequently asked questions, coming from my hairdresser, my neighbor and the lady at the DMV respectively include: Does bullying really happen? Do you have a boyfriend? What do you want to be when you grow up? Sometimes, no, and a journalist, if you’re wondering. But seri-ously, I don’t know if this is a problem that just happens to me, or if everyone ages 14-18 deals with elderly ladies inquiring about every aspect of their lives. I don’t really have any idea how to combat this problem. Maybe I just look like a really nice person on the outside, which is rather ironic because I have heart of ice, only melted by heart-warming episodes of Friday Night Lights and photos of puppies. I could try to look a little meaner and less approachable. Or, I guess I could just suck it up, and answer their questions. After all, in 30 years, I’ll be asking random teenagers what colleges they’re applying to.

EDITORIAL

Just getting through the day is a common thought of many students and teachers this year. It is no longer August 28, a time when we expect everyone to be slightly bewildered due to being plunged back into the classroom setting, getting familiar with the new routine, and learning how to manage new material. Well into the first quarter, some teach-ers are still mystified when it comes to effectively airing the morning announcements in their class-rooms, students still can’t acclimate to the new A/ B day schedule, no one seems to properly utilize the new technology and everyone seems to be still experiencing difficulty using the BCPSOne web-site to check their grades. “This never works.” “This school sucks.” “We’ll be graduated by the time this gets fixed.” These expressions show the frustra-tion, stress, and overall bad moral that has spread through these hallways like a winter flu. These transition issues that have shadowed the beginning of this school year have brought the community to attention. At a School Climate meeting held by the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), Act-

ing Principal Joe Jira along with other teachers on the faculty discussed with parents the issues that have been brought to their attention. They offered various ideas for keeping students interested and excited about the school year. The initiatives include cookouts, local mas-cot visits, local sports figure visits, random “spirit days” including crazy hair day, wacky sock day, goofy shirt day, and enhanced Enrichment days in which students can blow off steam with fun activi-ties.

The PTSA held their first initiative: on October 3, the Oriole’s bird mascot came to school during the enrichment hour. While taking selfies with a sports mascot may not solve technological problems, having a diversion is often a good way to cope with stress. Happiness is a habit. The PTSA and Jira deserve credit for recognizing our need for a little joy. With improved spirit, we can face challenges with renewed energy.

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Have something to say about

BCPS One cards? Write a letter to the editor!

Email your letters [email protected] or bring letters to room 207.

Photo by Sophie Seaman

Photo by Brady KingMatt Lewis (’16) shows disdain for the BCPS One card. Students received their cards in September.

What do you think?

opinion|October 2014 harbingerHereford11@HHarbinger

Cartoon by Joe Donatelli

Want to share your opinion about BCPSOne cards ? Tweet to us @HHarbinger using #onecards.

“ PRO The new BCPS One Cards that were distributed on September 12 are designed to add and improve many things within the school. “The One-card identification system is one more step in improv-ing security for students and staff” stated Principal Joe Jira in a letter he sent home to parents in September. In a few weeks the cards will be used to take attendance, check out library books, and eventually record when a student got on and off the bus. The card even holds some perks outside of the school building.“Most places give you a discount if you flash your student ID,” said Mad-die Hoover (’15) “ My brother got 40% off a pair of pants.” The cards also serve as name tags with our name, school and grade on them. “We will have to wear things like this all the time in the profes-sional world,” said Adrianna Culotta (’15). The cards also do not have to be kept on the same boring lanyard they came on. Many people have even changed it to another one they have at home and like better. “Get creative with your lanyard; I’ve seen people who put pins on them, and they look so cool,” said Adrianna. Some students have even resorted to just keeping their keys and BCPS One Card on the same thing in order to make it more convenient. The county plans to use the new BCPS One Cards to help the students and faculty of Hereford, and the other BCPS, schools be safer.

“

CON

“Oh my god the new BCPS One cards…” This begins a typical sentence one could overhear any student talking about while in school. Many students, however, are not ending that sentence on a positive note. Students have expressed different problems they have with the new distribution of the key cards. “They are distracting during class and they get caught on things. It happened to me the other day,” said Alyssa Einhorn (’16).Students are also supposed to be wearing them throughout the school day on a lanyard around their neck. However, not many students are actually following this rule. “A lot of people are gonna forget them or not know where they are,” said Joe Patti (’16). When they are not brought to school students are also supposed to pay one dollar for a temporary replacement for the day and five dollars for a complete replacement. “The rule that we have to pay for them seems unfair,” said Anna Watt (’16). Other students have also expressed this concern, saying that they shouldn’t have to pay for something they didn’t ask for. “It just seems kind of dumb that we have to prove our identity to the people who work here and that teachers are allowed to ask to see yours at any time,” said Parker Lenivy (’15). Throughout the hallways not many students say anything in favor of the new key cards. It appears students do not want to wear them.

By Peyton Butt

Students debate pros and cons of new keycardsGraphic by Maddie McGee

in focus|October 2014 harbingerHereford12@HHarbinger

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E N G A G E D The JV Cheerleading team performs their stunt, engaging fans during the Spar-rows Point game at Hereford High. Jen Groff and Emily Hilgartner haveassumed the new coaching positions.

JV Defensive tackle, Joe Kelbaugh takes down Sparrows Point player. The Bulls captured a win on their home field.

Physics teacher Brad Duvall and Special Education teacher Caitlin Mackenzie plan to marry in August. The couple has been busy coaching Field Hockey and Soccer, but have still managed to plan all the details of their big day.

Alex Feeney (‘15) and Emily Palumbo (‘15) focus on the October issue of the Hereford Harbinger. The couple researched article ideas.

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Mackenzie displays her engagement ring from Duvall. “I was shocked and ex-cited,” said Mackenzie. “I knew I was going to say yes.” All Photos by Sophie Seaman

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Email images (.JPEGs) to [email protected]

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